-blackford



.(No Model.)

' W. HCBLACKFORD 8; W. HOLDSWORTH.

BURIAL GASKET.

No. 560,253. Patented May 19, 1896.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM II. BLACKFORD AND XVILLIAM IIOLDSlVORTH, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNORS TO THE DETROIT CASKET COMPANY, OF

SAME PLACE.

BURIAL-CASKET..

SFECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 560,253, dated May 19, 1896.

Application filed anuary 10, 1896. Serial No. 575L930. (N0 model-l T 0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, W'ILLIAM H. BLACK- ronn and WILLIAM I-IoLDswoRTH, citizens of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of \Vayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Burial-Caskets; and we declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will en able others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accom-.

panying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in burial-caskets, and is designed to provide an improved flexible folding top panel therefor.

Our invention also contemplates certain additional features in what are known as couch caskets.

Our invention consists of the construction, combination, and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view in perspective, showing an uncovered burial casket or case embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a burial-casket, the same representing a couch casket in opened position. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section on the line 3 3, Fig. 2, said figure showing the casket open in full lines, the dotted lines showing the closed top panel and hinged side. Fig. 4E is a detail view, in vertical section, illustrating the manner of hinging the top panel to the cove of the casket.

Ve carry out our invention as follows:

Arepresents the body of the casket, formed with a base A and with upright side panels A A 7 B represents the cove, and O the top panel. The top panel, as shown, we construct of a series of strips 0, hinged or otherwise flexibly connected together, as indicated at c. The top panel, as a whole, is hinged at one side. of the casket to the cove, as shown at G. \Ve prefer to employ a stop-hinge, or other means for limiting the folding over of the top panel when in opened position. \Ve prefer to so limit the folding or rolling over of the top panel that the strip adjacent to the cove will stand upright and preferably at a forward inclination, as indicated more particularly in Figs. 8 and 4. Fig. 4 shows more particularly a stop-hinge. We donotlimit ourselves solely to the use of a stop-hinge in hinging the top panel to the cove, and where a stophinge is employed it may be of any suitable or desired construction.

e have shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the flexible folding top panel as extending the whole length of the casket; but we would have it understood that we do not limit ourselves to any particular length of the folding top panel, as within the scope of our invention it may either extend the full length or any desired distance, as may be preferred. So, also, we have shown our improved top panel as applied to a couch casket, and for which it has special advantages; but we do not limit ourselves solely to the employment of this improved top panel to a casket of any particular description. The advantages and desirability of a top panel of this sort will be readily understood, as it provides means for conveniently opening up the casket, as the top panel may be rolled or folded over .to one side and out of the way. By limiting its movement when the casket is open, as heretofore expressed, it will be apparent that the top panel when folded into positionsuch, for example, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3 will form what is termed a shrine at one side of the casket, giving a neat and tasteful appearance to the opened casket, the shrine also forminga support, if desired, for flowers, the. It will be understood that the under surface of the top panel which is folded upper-most when in open position will be suitably lined or upholstered, as may be desired.

Our invention comprises also the detachable engagement of the top panel with the remainder of the casket where desired, as by means of a detachable hinge of any suitable description or construction.

In Fig. 4 thus we show a combined stop and detachable hinge, in this particular instance consisting of a leaf c constructed with an orifice c therethrough, said leaf being at tached to the cove, the other leaf, 0, of said hinge being attached to the adjacent strip of the top panel and provided with a tongue 0 to engage through the slot 0 and against the under portion of the leaf, which may be formed with a downwardly-turned lip to engage said tongue, as shown. By the use of such a hinge, or one of analogous construction, it is evident that the top panel may either be folded over, the hinge acting as a stop hinge, or by lifting the tongues of the hinges out of the corresponding recesses of the opposite ears of the hinge the top panel may be entirely and readily removed. So, also, our invention contemplates a reversible engagement of the top panel on either side of the casket, so that it may be rolled or folded over at either side, as circumstances may require. To this end in Fig. 4, in which the two sides of the casket are represented, the top panel is shown hinged to the cove on either side, so as to be opened at either side of the casket. This may readily be accomplished by the use of a hinge, such as is shown in Fig. 4., in which case the cove at both sides of the casket would be provided with the slotted or recessed ears 0", engaged in proper position upon the cove, and it will be evident that the top panel might be thereby hinged to fold at either side by simply reversing the top panel head to foot, as the case might be. It will be seen that the panel indicated at the right hand of Fig. 4 would engage with the cove at the left hand in Fig. 4 by simply changing the panel end to end. In this manner the top panel might be opened at either side. This hinging of the top panel so as to open at either side may, however, he accomplished in a variety of ways within the scope of our invention otherwise than by the use of the specific hinge shown in Fig. 4, and we do not, therefore, limit ourselves to any particular hinge for accomplishing this purpose.

\Ve have further shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 one side of the body of the casket, as the side A asindicated, hinged at its lower edge to the base A of the body, the hinge being indicated at a. \Ve have also shown the upright side A as divided intermediate the upper and lower edges thereof to form upper and lower portions to a of the upright portion A said upper and lower portions being hinged together, as at a The cove on the side corresponding to the portion A is fixedly engaged with said portion, as with the upper portion a, so as to fold downward in opened position with the upright portion A of the body. By forming the upright portion A of the body of the casket thus it will be apparent that said side will fold downward, as indicatedin Figs. 2 and 3, the lower portion a being limited, preferably, in its movement to rest in horizontal position, while the portion a depends from its outer edge. \Ve do not,

however, limit ourselves to forming the upright side A of the casket of upper and lower portions hinged together, as at a.

It will be seen that when these various features of ourinvention are embodied in a couch casket the top panel may conveniently be folded or rolled over to one side of the casket, while the opposite upright side, as the side A may be let down in opened position, thereby forming a couch casket of tasteful appearance, which may be readily closed up when desired, the operation of opening and closing the casket being a very simple and read y matter.

In a couch casket constructed as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 it will be apparent that the top panel C folds back by itself, the cove opposite the side on which the top panel is hinged being attached to the hinged portion A and folding downward therewith.

\Vhat we claim as our invention is- A burial-casket having in combination a body A, a base A, a cove l3, and a flexible top panel 0 formed of a series of longitudinallyextended strips jointedly connected throughout the series to form a single panel and hinged to the cove at the rear side of the casket, said body having its upright front side hinged at its lower edge to fold downward, and the front portion of the cove out through at the ends of said front side and rigidly attached thereto to fold down therewith, whereby the top panel may be folded rearward and the front side and front cove may be folded downward, leaving the bed of the casket open to the front, the back of the body of the casket remaining upright, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof we sign this speci lication in the presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM I'I. B'LAGKFORD. WILLIAM llOLDSlVORlTH. \Vitnesses:

N. S. \V RIGHT, A. H. RAYMOND. 

